WELCOME TO RACED
We Advance Equity and Dignity Through Research and Data-Driven Insights
The Research Analytic Center for Equity and Dignity (RACED) conducts evidence-based research that examines how structural inequities shape the lived experiences of vulnerable and underserved populations, with a distinct emphasis on primary data collection. Rather than relying exclusively on secondary or administrative datasets, RACED generates original qualitative and quantitative data through direct engagement with individuals and institutions most affected by the phenomena under study, including people experiencing homelessness and housing instability, students and educators within school systems, frontline service providers, and other community stakeholders. This approach enables RACED to identify social, economic, and institutional conditions that limit access to opportunity, well-being, and long-term stability, particularly among populations underrepresented in formal data systems. Through rigorous analysis grounded in firsthand evidence, RACED produces actionable insights that inform equitable, effective, and human-centered policy and program development.
Research Areas
🔹 Housing & Homelessness
RACED seeks to understand homelessness by listening closely to the people who live it. Our work extends beyond statistics to examine the social and economic realities that make it challenging for individuals and families to find and maintain stable housing. Through direct conversations, community-based fieldwork, and careful data analysis, we document the everyday barriers people face, such as gaps in access to support services.
This research is not only about identifying problems; it is about pointing toward practical, evidence-based solutions shaped by lived experience. By grounding our findings in real stories and real conditions, RACED helps inform housing strategies that strengthen affordability, connect people to employment and essential services, and prevent housing loss before it occurs. Our goal is to ensure that housing responses are rooted in dignity, equity, and inclusion, and that they support long-term stability for people who are too often left unheard.
🔹Public Health & Healthcare Access
RACED examines health inequities by paying close attention to how people actually experience healthcare in their daily lives. Many individuals and communities struggle to access the care they need for many reasons. Our work focuses on understanding the barriers that prevent people from receiving timely, affordable, and culturally appropriate health services.
Through direct engagement and careful analysis, RACED documents challenges such as limited access to preventive and primary care, gaps in insurance coverage and affordability, unequal health outcomes across demographic groups, and barriers to mental and behavioral health services. These obstacles often lead to delayed treatment, untreated conditions, and preventable health risks. This research is not only about identifying where health systems fall short; it is about informing practical, evidence-based solutions rooted in lived experience. By grounding data in real stories and real conditions, RACED supports healthcare providers, public agencies, and policy leaders in designing more equitable and human-centered health strategies that protect dignity.
🔹Education & Opportunity
RACED studies education by paying close attention to the everyday experiences of students, families, and communities within school systems. Our research looks at how differences in access to quality teaching, learning materials, safe classrooms, and supportive academic environments shape students’ paths over time.
These conditions influence not only how students learn, but also whether they graduate, what opportunities are available to them, and how education affects their long-term economic stability. By listening to those most affected, RACED identifies the structural and social barriers that place some students at a disadvantage from an early age. Our work shows how unequal learning conditions can follow students throughout their lives, shaping future education, employment, and mobility. Grounded in lived experience, our findings help educators, policymakers, and community leaders build learning systems that are more equitable, supportive, and responsive.
🔹Criminal Justice & Social Protection
ACED seeks to understand criminal justice and social protection systems by listening to the people who move through them. Our research focuses on how policies, everyday practices, and system design shape individuals’ ability to access protection, support services, and pathways to stability.
These experiences are especially significant for communities that are disproportionately affected by surveillance, criminalization, and long-standing structural inequities. By engaging directly with individuals navigating arrest, incarceration, reentry, and social protection systems, RACED documents how these systems are experienced in real life—where support is available, where it falls short, and how system barriers affect long-term housing stability, health, employment, and family life. Grounded in lived experience, our findings help policymakers, service providers, and community leaders develop justice and protection systems that are more equitable, accountable, and human-centered, and that treat dignity and fairness as essential, not optional.
🔹Economic Inequality & Labor Access
RACED studies economic inequality by listening to people navigating work, income instability, and limited access to opportunity. Our research looks closely at how barriers such as hiring discrimination, unequal pay, unstable working conditions, and limited access to quality jobs affect people’s ability to achieve financial security and plan for the future. By engaging directly with workers and job seekers, RACED documents how race, gender, education, immigration status, and socioeconomic background shape everyday experiences in the labor market—from finding work to advancing in a career. This grounded approach reveals how structural forces, not individual effort alone, restrict access to fair wages, job stability, and economic mobility. Our findings help inform workforce policies and employment systems that are more equitable, inclusive, and dignity-centered, enabling individuals and families to build stable and sustainable livelihoods.
Featured Ongoing Research Project
Study 1 — Living Without Shelter : A Statistical and Field-Based Study of Unsheltered Homelessness in the Seattle Metropolitan Area
This research project investigates the lived experiences of individuals who do not have access to shelters and are residing directly on the streets. The study combines statistical analysis with field observations, one-on-one interviews, and focus groups across multiple locations within the Seattle metropolitan area to capture both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. By engaging directly with unsheltered individuals, the project aims to document the social, emotional, and economic realities of life without shelter, while identifying the personal and systemic barriers that limit access to housing and support services. The insights generated from this study will provide evidence-driven guidance for policymakers, service providers, and community organizations working to reduce homelessness and strengthen human dignity.
Key research goals include
The main goals
🔹 Identify and analyze the structural, social, and economic factors that contribute to unsheltered homelessness
🔹Examine barriers to accessing shelter, housing, and support services, and assess their short and long-term consequences
🔹 Produce equity and evidence-based findings to inform policy development, program design, and resource allocation
🔹Document the lived experiences of individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness through direct, field-based data collection.
🔹Generate community-sourced evidence that amplifies the voices of unsheltered individuals and ensures their experiences directly inform policy decisions
🔹Assess the health, safety, and social impacts associated with living without shelter, centering participant perspectives to capture and identify needs and solutions
Current status: Data collection phase
The project is currently in the data collection phase, during which primary, field-based data is being gathered directly from individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness. This phase involves administering structured surveys and conducting small focus group discussions in community settings where participants reside or access services. Data collection activities are guided by ethical research protocols that prioritize informed consent, confidentiality, and respect for participant dignity. The information collected during this phase will form the empirical foundation for subsequent analysis, interpretation, and the development of equity-focused findings and policy recommendations.
Expected outcome: A comprehensive report and policy recommendations for state and local decision-makers
The study is expected to generate a comprehensive, community-sourced evidence base describing the lived realities of individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the Seattle metropolitan area. Through the integration of quantitative and qualitative data, the research will produce a detailed statistical profile of unsheltered individuals, highlighting key demographic characteristics, structural drivers, and barriers to housing and services. The findings will include an equity-focused analysis that identifies disparities across gender, race, age, and veteran status, as well as variations in health, safety, and service access
Partner With RACED to Advance Equity and Dignity
RACED partners with organizations, institutions, and agencies committed to advancing equity and human dignity through evidence-based action. Our collaborative approach brings together grounded, community-sourced data and rigorous analysis to support informed decision-making and meaningful social impact. RACED believes that meaningful change requires collaboration across sectors. Advancing equity and human dignity depends on shared knowledge, coordinated action, and partnerships grounded in mutual respect and accountability.
🔹Institutions and academic centers
🔹Government agencies and local authorities
🔹Nonprofit organizations
🔹Community-based organizations
🔹Policy and advocacy groups
🔹Academic researchers and students
Together, we can transform research into real-world impact that protects dignity and expands opportunity for underserved communities.
Interested in partnering, supporting our projects, or requesting research insights?
Visit our Contact RACED page — we would be glad to connect.